Postdoctoral Associate
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Job no: 535007
Work type: Research Faculty
Senior management: Agriculture & Life Sciences
Department: Agricultural & Applied Economics
Location: Blacksburg, Virginia
Categories: Agriculture / Life Science, Research / Scientific
The Kohl Center in the Department of Agricultural and Applied Economics at Virginia Tech invites applications for a non-tenured position at the rank of Postdoctoral Associate with a specialization in Data Science/Applied Econometrics and its application in applied economics and social sciences broadly defined. The position is one-year, 12-month, calendar-year appointment, with the possibility of renewal based on funding availability and performance. The anticipated start date for this position is May 2026.
Appointment Description:
The Kohl Centre at Virginia Tech is a pioneering interdisciplinary hub dedicated to advancing, implementing, and disseminating state-of-the-art applied economic problem-solving informed by data analytics solutions.
The successful candidate will develop a strong applied research program that works both within and at the boundaries of data science/econometric methods and the social sciences to discover, create, and disseminate new knowledge. The successful candidate will contribute to both academic and policy-relevant publications, while helping secure external funding to support ongoing and future research efforts. The candidate will also work to increase the impact of Kohl Center research by engaging stakeholders through training, workshops, webinars, and action-oriented projects and programs.
Opportunity for Advising and Teaching: At the graduate level, the individual will participate in recruiting and advising/mentoring graduate students, including serving on graduate committees. At the undergraduate level, the individual will assist in recruiting, mentoring, and training undergraduate students in our experiential learning program. There will be opportunities to teach graduate or undergraduate courses.
About Virginia Tech
Dedicated to its motto, Ut Prosim (That I May Serve), Virginia Tech pushes the boundaries of knowledge by taking a hands-on, transdisciplinary approach to preparing scholars to be leaders and problem-solvers. A comprehensive land-grant institution that enhances the quality of life in Virginia and throughout the world, Virginia Tech is an inclusive community dedicated to knowledge, discovery, and creativity. The university offers more than 280 majors to a diverse enrollment of more than 36,000 undergraduate, graduate, and professional students in eight undergraduate colleges, a school of medicine, a veterinary medicine college, Graduate School, and Honors College. The university has a significant presence across Virginia, including the Innovation Campus in Northern Virginia; the Health Sciences and Technology Campus in Roanoke; sites in Newport News and Richmond; and numerous Extension offices and research centers. A leading global research institution, Virginia Tech conducts more than $500 million in research annually.
• PhD in agricultural and applied economics, economics, data science, econometrics, statistics, computer science, operations research, public policy, or a closely related field (candidates with expected completion dates prior to the start of employment will be considered). Ph.D. or equivalent terminal degree must be awarded no more than four years prior to the effective date of appointment, with a minimum of one year eligibility remaining.
• Proficiency in R, including R shiny, and other data-science related tools such as Git.
• Research experience using R and modern data-analytical tools
• Explicit research experience or coursework on the boundary between data science/statistics/econometrics and social sciences in their major field(s)
• Record of peer-reviewed publications or advanced working papers relevant to the position description.
• Excellent communication and organization skills and ability to work collaboratively with diverse teams.
• Expertise in agricultural economics, health economics, policy analysis, small business and entrepreneurship, or applied econometrics.
• Strong quantitative skills and experience with cutting-edge techniques in data science, econometrics and machine learning, especially in the areas of causal machine learning and optimal policy learning.
• Proficiency in other languages such as Stata, and/or Python modeling languages.
• Research experience using Python.
• Experience working with large structured and unstructured datasets such as multimodal data and remote sensing data.
• Ability to engage effectively with stakeholders through outreach, extension, and engagement activities.
Exempt: Not eligible for overtime
40; M-F 8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Applicants should submit the following materials via the Virginia Tech careers portal:
• Cover letter outlining research interests and relevant experience.
• Curriculum vitae (CV).
• Three confidential letters of reference.
• A sample of academic writing
Review Date:
Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis, with a priority deadline of December 31, 2025. The position will remain open until filled. For more information, please contact Dr. Le Wang at lewangecon@vt.edu
The successful candidate will be required to have a criminal conviction check.
Dedicated to its motto, Ut Prosim (That I May Serve), Virginia Tech pushes the boundaries of knowledge by taking a hands-on, transdisciplinary approach to preparing scholars to be leaders and problem-solvers. A comprehensive land-grant institution that enhances the quality of life in Virginia and throughout the world, Virginia Tech is an inclusive community dedicated to knowledge, discovery, and creativity. The university offers more than 280 majors to a diverse enrollment of more than 36,000 undergraduate, graduate, and professional students in eight undergraduate colleges, a school of medicine, a veterinary medicine college, Graduate School, and Honors College. The university has a significant presence across Virginia, including Blacksburg, the greater Washington, D.C. area, the Health Sciences and Technology Campus in Roanoke, sites in Newport News and Richmond, and numerous Extension offices and research institutes. A leading global research institution, Virginia Tech conducts more than $650 million in research annually.
Virginia Tech endorses and encourages participation in professional development opportunities and university shared governance. These valuable contributions to university shared governance provide important representation and perspective, along with opportunities for unique and impactful professional development.
Virginia Tech does not discriminate against employees, students, or applicants on the basis of age, color, disability, sex (including pregnancy), gender, gender identity, gender expression, genetic information, ethnicity or national origin, political affiliation, race, religion, sexual orientation, or military status, or otherwise discriminate against employees or applicants who inquire about, discuss, or disclose their compensation or the compensation of other employees or applicants, or on any other basis protected by law.
If you are an individual with a disability and desire an accommodation, please contact Dr. Le Wang at lewangecon@vt.edu during regular business hours at least 10 business days prior to the event.
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